


The Scientist

by supurbangothic, sweetpeater



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Swearing, so much flirting dear lord
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-09-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 17:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4358078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supurbangothic/pseuds/supurbangothic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetpeater/pseuds/sweetpeater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Hey, gorgeous.”<br/>--<br/>When Sam De Fiore waltzes up to Spencer Reid’s table, the doctor has no idea what’s in store for him. Coffee dates, giant teddy bears, and the all-consuming struggle not to strangle SSA Derek Morgan are just the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, gorgeous.”

Spencer dropped the book he was holding into his lap, looking up at the person who addressed him. The man was tall, with golden brown hair and green eyes. He was smirking down at Spencer, and his tongue flicked out to trace a silver lip ring. A red stud peeked out from the side of his nose that was facing slightly away from Spencer. His hand tapped against his thigh, giving away the fact that he was at least slightly nervous.

  
“Um...hi. Do I know you?” Spencer would be lying if he said his voice didn’t tremble slightly with the words. The man was attractive, and the way he was looking at Spencer was almost predatory. Spencer should have been unnerved. He wasn’t.

  
“Me? No, I don’t think so.” There was a quick, dismissive wave of the hand. “But I’d like to get to know you, if that’s okay?” The lighter haired man leaned forward slightly, and his leather boots creaked with the shift in weight.

  
“Um, sure.” The man sat down in the chair across from him. Spencer gulped, eyes trained on the man’s arms. “You...you have nice tattoos. Do they mean anything significant?”

“Yes, actually. But they’re each a pretty long story. Maybe I’ll tell you some other time?” The words were accompanied with a wink, and Spencer swallowed again.

  
“Oh. Okay. You know, statistically, 43% of people with tattoos think that a tattoo with a special meaning is the most important thing to consider when getting one.” Spencer found himself spouting the fact before he even realized, and avoided the man’s eye with a blush.

  
“Beautiful and intelligent. Color me impressed. You know, it takes a special sort of person to be surrounded with people and still be able to concentrate that thoroughly on a book.” The man’s smirk grew wider, but no less coy.

  
Spencer colored. “Ah, well. I tend to block out surrounding noise when I’m reading.”

  
“I noticed. I called out to you a few times before you heard me.”

  
“Oh! I’m sorry about that.” Spencer looked guilty. The other man chuckled softly.

  
“Don’t be. I’m glad you were enjoying yourself.” He paused, smiling slightly. “So...can I have a name to put to such a beautiful face?”

  
“I..it’s Spencer.”

  
“Spencer.” He said it like he was testing it out. Another small smile. His tongue peeked out from behind grinning teeth. “It suits you. I’m Sam.”

  
“Hebrew. Means: Name of God. Most popular name in Switzerland.”

  
“Now you’re just showing off.” Spencer’s face fell and he looked down. Sam frowned and tipped Spencer’s chin up with his index finger and looked directly into his eyes. “Hey, I was kidding. I like it that you know about my name. It’s flattering.”

  
“Flattering? You don’t think it’s annoying?” Spencer ducked his head before looking back up to Sam, and although most of his friend teased him for being a germaphobe and not letting people touch him, he remained still.

  
Sam looked stricken, his green eyes widened in genuine shock and he stuttered out a reply. “A-annoying? Why would I think…? You’re brilliant, Spencer. I’ve been sitting here for five minutes and I’ve learned more that I have all day.” His thumb ran idly across the side of Spencer’s chin. “The only question I have is, how do you know?”

  
“Well…I have an eidetic memory,” Spencer said sheepishly.

  
Sam’s eyebrows shot up and he took his hand back. “Really? That’s amazing. One of my students has a photographic memory, but having an eidetic memory is really rare, right?”

“One of your...students?”

  
“Oh, yeah. I’m a kindergarten teacher.”

  
Spencer quickly reassessed Sam’s torso and face, from the piercings to the tattoos to the rolled up, striped t-shirt under a black leather vest. His eyes rested on the black cross dangling from a choker on his neck. He almost couldn’t help sliding his gaze slightly to Sam’s collarbones before he quickly met his eyes. “A kindergarten teacher?” He tried not to sound impolite, but the question had an incredulous tone anyways.

  
Sam didn’t seem at all phased by the confusion. Instead, he fixed Spencer with a wide grin that put his lip ring on full display. “Yeah, that’s about the reaction people usually have. Parent-teacher conference day is always fun.”

  
“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Spencer put his hands up defensively, his eyes going wide in a placating manner.

  
“It’s fine, Spencer. It was a joke,” Sam said with a small chuckle. They exchanged small smiles before Sam looked down at his watch. “Oh, shit. It’s like two a.m. I really have to leave, I’m sorry. Could I see you here another time?”

  
“Sure. My job requires that I go out of town quite a bit, but I could call you?”

  
“Yeah, definitely. Here’s my number.” He jotted the digits down onto a nearby napkin and passed it to the young profiler. “See you another time, beautiful.”

  
Spencer smiled bashfully, feeling a little weak in the knees as Sam walked away. He’d definitely be answering that call. Sam was already out the door before Spencer came out of his thoughts enough to answer with a quiet, “See you..”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely feedback! thehedgehoggiraffe and i will be posting once a week on average :-)  
> -sweetpeater

The coffee shop had been Spencer’s idea. It was horribly cliche, and Sam hated coffee. He agreed to meet Spencer there at two.

When he saw the brunette approaching down the sidewalk, he kicked off the wall he had been leaning into and smirked as he walked up to Spencer.

“Hey, there he is.” he said, winking.

“Um. Hi, again.” Spencer tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, and Sam tried not to grin like he was insane. Spencer was probably the most adorable person he had ever seen. Definitely the smartest. Even after just one date-that-may-or-may-not-have-been-a-date, Sam could tell that.

“How have you been, gorgeous?” he asked, sliding into step beside Spencer for the remainder of the walk to the shop.

“F-fine, I suppose. Just a little busy. You?” Spencer toyed with the buckle on his leather satchel, which Sam thanked god for so the other man didn’t see him smile like an idiot.

“I’ve been great. Students are okay for the time being, most of my work is done. It’s all good. Plus, I’ve had this to look forward to.” Sam could have hit himself. He rocked back on his heels slightly and worried his lip ring, a habit he had picked up when he was nervous. Normally, he tried and succeeded in not being so painfully awkward; but Spencer was, for a lack of a better word, goddamn radiant. He found that his filter wasn't working the way it should. At least in the bar he could use alcohol as an excuse.

“That’s great. I’ve been looking forward to it as well, if I’m being honest.” Spencer glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and gave him a small smile.

"Can I buy you a coffee?” Sam asked suddenly. He moved to open the door to allow Spencer through, and once inside let it fall closed. He shivered at the change in temperature.

“Sure, I mean, only if you want to, you’re not oblig--” Spencer stuttered, but Sam cut him off with a slight touch to his arm before he could think about it. He withdrew his hand quickly.

“D-don’t worry about it.” Sam wanted to convince himself that the shake in his voice was due to his weakness to cold, but he’d be lying to himself. Spencer’s skin was warm, and gave off heat even through the cardigan he wore. It came as a pleasant surprise to Sam, and he wished that the touch could linger. There was no possible way to do that without being awkward. Or, well, being more awkward than he already was.

They walked up to the counter, getting in line behind three people in professional-looking clothes when Spencer spoke. “Did you know that fifty-four percent of Americans over the age of eighteen drink coffee every day? And only five percent drink it with a meal other than breakfast.”

Sam was intrigued. “Really. Where did you learn that?”

“Well, there was a study done recently by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, formerly Harvard School of Public Health. It was renamed for the founder of The Morningside Foundation, Mr. T.H. Chan and his family, due to the foundation’s three hundred and fifty million dollar donation to the school.” The doctor looked down at his shoes, and then up at Sam through his eyelashes. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to ramble.”

Sam’s words caught in his throat momentarily. He swallowed. “Never apologize for that. It’s adorable.”

At that, Spencer looked up and gave him a tiny smile. Once they both had cups in their hands, they made their way to a booth near the large windows and slid in so they were seated opposite one another.

“It’s just that, normally when I start to spout off information, people give me weird looks or stop me. I suppose it can get annoying to hear it all the time.”

“I don’t think it’ll ever annoy me.” Sam said, his answering smile nervous and hesitant.

Before Spencer could respond, a shrill ringing cut through the atmosphere. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. It’s my job.”

“No worries.” Sam answered, taking a sip from his cup and motioning Spencer out of the booth. Spencer smiled apologetically before walking to the door and pushing it open.

Sam watched him through the window, and saw Spencer’s face change from expectant to dismayed as he spoke. Sam’s heart sank. He knew that look. It meant their date was over. He tried to keep the disappointment off of his face as Spencer re-entered the shop and made his way over to him.

“I’m so, so sorry. I just got called in, I’ll probably be gone for a few days.” Spencer looked remorseful, but his expression shifted to thought. “Wait, do you have a Skype? We could try to videochat or something.”

“Y-yeah, that would be great. Here.” Sam grabbed Spencer’s cup and scribbled his username on it with a Sharpie he pulled out of his jacket pocket, handing it to him when he finished.

“Thanks.” Spencer hesitated, fiddling with the buckles on his satchel again. “I’ll call you when I can. See you around?”

“Yeah, definitely. See you later, gorgeous.” he winked and Spencer blushed before turning to leave.

Sam hesitated for a moment. _You gotta kiss him, it’s now or never_ , he thought. “Spencer, wait.”

Spencer paused, turning back to him. He swallowed. _Damn it._ “Good luck.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the slight delay in getting the chapter up! My computer has been broken all week and we got the chapter to our beta late because of that, but now everything's all good! We hope you enjoy the chapter!  
> -thehedgehoggiraffe

Spencer rushed into the conference room, panting from the rush across the building. Everyone was already at their respective seats around the table. “Hey, sorry I’m late, I was just a little ways across town.”

Morgan raised an eyebrow. “What’s with the outfit, pretty boy? You got a date with a lucky little lady?”

Spencer blushed. Sure, count on Morgan to figure out he had a date. “Sh-shut up. I did not.”

“Wait a minute, Reid. Did you actually have a date?” Morgan looked shocked, and it was obvious that Garcia was about to make a very loud exclamation.

Spencer rushed to answer before that could happen. “N-no! I just told you I didn’t. I don’t have a girlfriend.” He snatched a photo off the table and started to study it, ignoring Morgan’s strange looks.

Hotch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t the time to hound Reid about his lovelife, Morgan. There’s a potentially psychopathic serial rapist and killer terrorizing downtown Louisville, Kentucky at the moment. You can discuss it later, when we aren’t on a case.”

“Oh, we will. Pretty boy here can count on it.” Morgan narrowed his eyes at Spencer and smirked. Spencer was not looking forward to the next few days, especially if Morgan was going to room with him. He swallowed nervously.

“Derek, shut up.” JJ said. Saved by the bell. Spencer shot her a grateful look before she turned to the agent standing at the whiteboard. “What’s the case, Hotch?”

“Six females and two males from the ages of 16 to 28 have been found dead in multiple areas in downtown Louisville, close to some of the most popular bars in the area. We are unsure at this point if the locations of the bodies are simply dump spots or places where the murders have actually occurred. Either way, it is understandably bad for business.” He placed a folder on the table that Prentiss grabbed right away. “The PD in the area have already interviewed several of the bar owners, however once we get to the city we will be asked to follow up on many of them. Right now the main suspect is 38 year old Danny Fitzgerald. He owns the Magnolia Bar and subsequent Pizza Donisi in Old Louisville.”

By now, each of the team members had a photo or two in their hands. They spent a few moments looking them over, scanning for additional clues and evidence that perhaps they’d missed before.

Hotch set his photos onto the desk and started towards the door. “Wheels up in 10.”

* * *

 

When they reached the most recent scene, a small dive tucked under a bridge, a dispatch from the local PD was already waiting for them.

“The latest victim was identified as twenty-four year old Tabitha Wilson. She lived in Onaka, South Dakota, just here visiting family for spring break. Her cousin found her in the alley right here, after Tabitha said she was heading home because she was tired.” Prentiss’ voice sounded through the small wireless communicator tucked into Spencer’s ear.

“Alone?” Morgan asked, looking into the alleyway.  
“Yeah.”

“Alright. Prentiss, you and Hotch go find the bartenders that were working last night. Reid and I will stay here and take a look at the crime scene.” Morgan said, turning to the police chief.

“It looks like there was at least an attempted rape. There’s a few items of clothing over here, torn up. Looks like...a jacket and a women’s shirt, but nothing else.” the middle aged woman said, picking up the articles in question with gloved hands. She looked at the jacket distastefully.

“So he removed those items forcefully. The body was still wearing an undershirt, though.” Spencer pointed out, crouching next to the small yellow number four on the pavement and tilting his head slightly.

Morgan jumped as his phone rang, quickly fishing it out of his pocket and answering. “Hey, Prentiss. Okay. Alright, thanks.” He flipped the Motorola closed and turned to Spencer. “The rape kit came back negative.”

“So it was just an attempt. But why would the unsub kill her before he could finish it? It doesn’t fit with the rest of the victims.” The police chief said, looking confusedly at Spencer, the latter still crouched on the ground with a contemplative look on his face.

“Maybe she fought back. She could have made it too difficult for him to do anything, so he gave up and killed her. Cut his losses.” Morgan said as he slowly walked small circles around Spencer.

“A rapist is statistically less likely to follow through with the rape if the victim fights back,” the doctor replied quickly, glancing up at the two others.

Morgan hummed. “I’ll call Hotch in a little while, see what he found. I think we’ve got all we need from here.”

* * *

 

Turns out that Spencer did have to share a room with Morgan this time.

“Alright, pretty boy, I’m out of here. Try not to wreck anything while I’m gone.” Morgan said, grabbing his keys from the TV stand.

“Yeah right.” Spencer snorted, setting his book down on the nightstand.

He waited a minute or so after Morgan walked out before pulling his laptop out of its case. Opening Skype, he scratched his neck nervously and tucked a strand of brown hair behind his ear. It was a habit he’d developed. One look at him and anyone could tell he was nervous.

Sam’s grinning face came onto the screen after a couple of rings. “Hey beautiful.”

Spencer smiled. “Hey.”

“How’s work?” Sam asked, resting his chin on his folded hands, the tattoos on his knuckles rippling with the stretch.

“It’s...fine. I mean, it’s work, but I like what I do, more or less.”

Sam’s brows furrowed. “And just what do you do, if you don’t mind? I mean, you already know that I’m a kindergarten teacher, so…”

“Oh. No it’s fine. I’m a,” Spencer hesitated, “profiler. For the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.”

“Oh! Well aren’t you just full of surprises. I’m impressed, Spencer.” He smirked. “Tell me, what exactly does a FBI profiler do? I’m intrigued.”

“Well, we study human behavior. It helps in victimology and criminology, as well as geographic profiling and…” He trailed off, seeing Sam’s look of confusion. “We um, we get into the head of the UnSub to figure out how to catch them.”

“UnSub?” Sam just looked even more confused.

Spencer cleared his throat. “Unknown Subject. It’s what we call the, um, the bad guys.”

“So basically, you’re psychic. And a badass special agent. And on top of that you’re extremely smart. Well I really lucked out, didn’t I?” Spencer blushed and didn’t say anything. Sam clasped his hands to his face. “Oh jeez. I didn’t...I mean-”

“Sam.” Spencer cut him off with a small smile. “It’s fine. I was just surprised. Thank you, I’m flattered.” He paused momentarily, waiting for Sam to uncover his face. “You know, you’re no average joe either. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so...well, beautiful?”

Sam’s eyes widened, and his tongue flicked at his lip ring. He hesitated for a moment, obviously collecting his thoughts.

“I...I don’t know what to say. I mean...thank you.”

A knock at the door made Spencer jump and look up. “Hey pretty boy, I forgot my key card. Could you let me in?”

Spencer cursed the day SSA Derek Morgan was born. He turned back to the screen. “Oh crap, that’s my roommate for this case. Could I...could I call you tomorrow, maybe?”

“Oh, yeah! Yeah. I’d really like that.” Sam replied, looking down into his lap and then back up, smiling sheepishly.

“Okay then. Well, um, goodnight?”

Sam smirked. “Goodnight, ‘Pretty Boy.’”

Spencer groaned, but grinned in spite of himself. He seemed to do that a lot when he was talking to Sam.

The latter laughed. “But I’m serious. Sweet dreams, gorgeous.”

“Yeah. You too.” He pressed End Call and closed the laptop.

Morgan pounded on the door. “Okay, Reid, I’m serious. Are you gonna let me in or not?”

“Coming!” He jumped up and pulled the door open.

Morgan brushed past him to the table, fixing him with a quizzical look. “Who were you talking to, anyways?”

Spencer blushed and tried to look incredulous. “What? N-no one! Myself?”

Morgan squinted at him suspiciously. “Alright Reid, keep your secrets. I’ll find out somehow, you know.”

With that, he strode out the door. Spencer rolled his eyes and smiled to himself.

“Somehow, I doubt that.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god guys I'm sorry this is so late, sweetpeater and I have been having some technical difficulties. But this chapter is very very fluffy, so I hope that makes up for it.  
> -thehedgehoggiraffe

“Really? No, I haven’t.” Sam laughed into the phone at Spencer’s story and paused before rolling his eyes. His smile didn’t leave his face. “Of course, Mr. FBI Profiler. Yeah, you’re all that. Hey, I gotta go, talk to you later? Alright, bye.”

Sam snapped his phone shut and grinned down at it. He turned to walk out of the room, but stopped when he almost ran into Mrs. Callway, his boss and the principal of the school. She was a kind woman with a stern face, a fact that suited her position well. She smiled at him, and she reminded him, not for the first time, of a mother.

“May I have a moment?” she asked, and her tone suggested that she would have been perfectly accommodating if he had said no.

“Of course.” Was his answer instead, and her smile widened slightly.

“So, your class has been exceeding in their comprehensive reading exams lately. I just wanted to give you kudos on that, and remind you of the seminars in Fairfax this weekend.” She handed him a piece of paper and pulled her hand back, dropping it to her side.

“Oh, thank you! I have noticed a difference in quite a few of their quizzes, I’m very proud of them. And about the seminars, I won’t be able to make the Friday ones, but I will be there Saturday.”

“Great. Keep up the good work, Mr. De Fiore.” She turned to leave, but halted and turned back towards Sam. “I may have been eavesdropping, but were you talking to someone from the FBI on the phone?”

“Um, yeah, actually. I have a friend from the Behavioral Analysis Unit out of Quantico.” He said, and held back a wince at calling Spencer a “friend.” It was true that they hadn’t talked about dating officially, but to say that Sam didn’t care about the profiler would be a huge lie.

“That’s great. Do you think you could get ahold of your friend and ask if he could come in for career day? I don’t mean to ask too much, but I think the students would love it.” She said, and the smile came back. He wondered how any child could be afraid of this woman.

“Oh, I could definitely ask him. I’m sure he would love to. Maybe I could get the whole team in, send them to different classrooms?” he asked, tilting his head and returning her grin. Thinking of Spencer around children made his ears turn red.

“I didn’t even think of that, what a great idea! We’ll offer them compensation for their time, of course.” she said.

“Yeah, I’ll ask him the next time I see him, which should be in a few days.”

Mrs. Callway nodded and turned to leave the second time, coffee in her hand and a smile on her face. Sam chuckled and flipped his phone open.

‘Hey, are you free tomorrow night?’ He fired off a text to Spencer.

‘Yes. What do you have in mind?’ The reply was instantaneous, and Sam smiled.

‘It’s a surprise, gorgeous. It's your turn to pick a time, though.’

‘How about six?’

‘Sounds great.See you at six tomorrow, gorgeous.’ Sam closed his phone and tucked it in his pocket, before grabbing his coffee and heading out the door.

______________

Sam pulled up in front of Spencer’s house at 5:30. The building was two stories, and Sam could bet at least one room was a library. The porch light was on, and as Sam exited his car and walked up the sidewalk, he felt himself getting more and more nervous. For one, he had never been to Spencer’s house. He had never been to any of his date’s houses. But now he was here, and Spencer lived here, and that though was so disorienting he had to stop walking. Spencer lived here. Slept here. Ate here. Spent most of his free time here. And he was allowing Sam to see it, and in turn, see him, for all he was worth.

Sam grinned at the thought, and crossed the rest of the yard and porch in a few long strides. He rang the doorbell once, and Spencer opened the door almost immediately. He was in his usual state of dress, a cream colored sweater and a red tie, but Sam still stumbled over his words for a moment.

“S-sorry. I know we agreed on six, but-”

“No, it’s fine. I was actually just waiting around.” Spencer gave a small smile and rocked back on his heels, his hands in his pockets. He was adorable. “You look...good, by the way.”

Sam laughed.

“If I look good, you look...well, radient comes to mind.” he said, but then flushed at the shocked look on Spencer’s face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t...well I did mean it, but-”

He was cut off by Spencer’s laugh. Now it was Sam’s turn to look shocked.

“Sam, it’s fine. I’m just not used to people flattering me as much as you do. It’s sweet.”

“Well, if no one notices how beautiful you are, that’s their loss. And my gain.”

Spencer chuckled, a light blush spreading across his face. “Come on, you flirt. Let’s go.”

“Of course, your highness.” Sam said with a small bow. Spencer laughed and pushed him towards the porch steps.

Black Flag was blasting through the speakers when Sam turned the key in the ignition. Spencer jumped a little, and Sam laughed nervously, turning it down. “Sorry.”

A few moments went by as Spencer simply gazed out the window. His curiosity got the better of him eventually. “So where are we going?”

“I told you, it’s a surprise.”

“Will I like the surprise?” Spencer asked warily.

Sam smiled. “Well I hope so! Otherwise this’ll get awkward.”

They both laughed softly and fell into a companionable silence, with just a hint of awkwardness.

Ten minutes later, Sam pulled into a makeshift parking lot on the other side of town. He parked his SUV in the grass and turned to face Spencer, awaiting his reaction.

The latter looked bewildered. “A...carnival?”

Sam swallowed. “Yeah. I knew that it was in town, and it seemed more fun than dinner, so…” He watched as Spencer’s look of confusion turned into a sunny grin that made Sam’s heart do flips.

“It’s great. I love it.”

“Well good. C’mon, lets go.”

They climbed out and walked towards the carnival hand-in-hand. When they got their wristbands, Sam turned back to Spencer. “So, what should we do first?”

Spencer furrowed his brow and frowned. “I don’t know. To be honest, I’ve never really been to one of these before.”

“Never been to a carnival? What did you do for fun as a teenager?” Sam asked, confused.

“I...ah…” Spencer chuckled nervously, scratching his neck. “I got three PhDs…”

“Holy shit. Three?”

“Yeah, and two BAs.” As he said this, Sam couldn’t help but think that he looked akin to a wet puppy.

“That’s…” Sam paused, and Spencer looked even more sad, if that was possible. “That’s amazing, Spencer. You’re amazing.”

Spencer straightened up. The look of defeat changed into that of confusion. “What?”

“Spencer. You’re twenty-five. You have five degrees. Three of which are doctorates. That’s incredible.” When Spencer started to look down, Sam took both of the doctor’s hands in his. “Hey, look at me. Spence, I dropped out of college. I couldn’t take the heat, and I completed my degree online. But you? You survived it when you were a teenager. Thrived, enough to complete five different degrees. That’s amazing in itself. But instead of becoming a teacher or a scientist and shutting yourself away in a lab, you became an FBI agent. You help people with your intelligence.”

He paused and sat down on a nearby bench, prompting Spencer to sit down next to  “You know, I didn’t think you could get any more beautiful. But I guess you’re full of surprises of your own, Dr. Reid.”

“Sam?” Spencer spoke up suddenly, as if something in his mind had jolted him into speaking. He wrung his hands.

“Hm?”

“I..ah, I think I...that is I..I think-” Spencer sputtered out, tucking an errant strand of hair behind his ear. Sam’s eyes widened and he put a gentle hand on Spencer’s shoulder.

“Spencer...you don’t have to-”

Spencer cut him off. “But I want to. I um...” He took a breath. “I think I’m falling in love with you.”

Sam’s breath caught in his throat, and he swallowed.

“Spencer, I’ve been in love with you since I learned your name.” he responded, and his stomach flipped. His tongue flicked at his lip ring.

They looked at each other for a long moment before Sam spoke. “Can I kiss you?”

Spencer didn’t respond. Instead, he grabbed Sam by his shirt and yanked him in, smirking before pressing their lips together. Sam froze up for a moment before placing one hand on Spencer’s shoulder and the other in the soft hair on the back of his neck.

Spencer’s lips were warm like the rest of his skin, and tasted faintly of cherry chapstick. Sam smiled against the doctor’s mouth and let his eyes slide closed. He allowed his thumb to rub small circles on Spencer’s neck, and his grip tightened on his shoulder. After a few moments, Sam pulled away just enough to separate his lips from Spencer’s. The brunette’s warm breath fanned across his face, and Sam chuckled breathlessly.

“Love you.” His voice was gentle, and Spencer bit his lip and grinned wide.

“I love you too, you dork.” He leaned forward and quickly pecked Sam on the lips before pulling back.

Sam took his boyfriend’s hand and stood from the bench, gently tugging Spencer towards the carnival.

“Okay then, let’s have some fun.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Career Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! We're so sorry for the hiatus! sweetpeater's school started up again and we were both swamped with work. Hopefully we'll be able to start updating regularly now! We're all caught up with pre-written stuff, so it may take a little longer per update, but we'll try to be as efficient as we can be! Thank you for your support and patience, and we hope you enjoy this chapter!  
> -thehedgehoggiraffe

Spencer grinned down at the phone in his hand as the SUV drove along the highway. Pictures on his screen depicted different scenes of he and Sam, and later on a friend of Sam’s that they had run into. There was Sam standing at a carnival game, a determined glare on his face. Another picture, shot by the friend, showed Spencer holding Sam’s arm, trying to tug him away from the game, and Sam swatting him away. Both were laughing. A third picture revealed Spencer standing with a giant blue teddy bear, and Sam beaming at him. Yet another picture, taken from a further distance, showed the bear lying forgotten, and Spencer kissing Sam, arms wrapped around his neck.

Spencer was so wrapped up in the pictures, he didn’t notice Morgan craning his neck, trying to get a look at his screen.

“What’s got you so cheerful?” The agent asked, and Spencer jumped and snapped the phone closed.

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Just a text.” He said, making sure to keep the device out of Morgan’s reach.

“Uh huh.” Derek looked at him skeptically, narrowing his eyes and leaning back in his seat.

“Why does it matter, anyways?” Spencer asked.

“I’m just curious, no need to get all defensive.” Morgan raised his hands in a calming gesture.

They pulled into the school parking lot a few moments later, and Spencer quickly hopped out of the car, not realizing he had left his phone in the seat until it was in Morgan’s hand.

“Hey! What are you--Give it back!” His voice rose in the infuriating way it did when he was annoyed. He made a grab for the phone, but Morgan held it up above his head.

“Relax, I just wanna see what it was.” He tried to turn and open the phone, but Spencer jumped on his back and tried to grab the phone from over his shoulder.

“Give..it..here!” he shouted, catching the attention of JJ and Emily. Emily simply started to laugh, but JJ stalked over and glared at Morgan.

“Morgan, give the poor guy his phone back.” She said, and Spencer let go of the agent, who tossed his phone back.

“Alright, alright.” Morgan held his hands up when JJ didn’t turn away. When she did, he smirked at Spencer and went to join Hotch in greeting the principal of the school.

Spencer grumbled and followed closely behind, ensuring that his phone was tucked safely in his pocket.

There was a banner hanging from the brick above the front door, and it read, “CAREER DAY!” In large script. Standing in front of the doors was a middle aged woman with an easy smile and a navy blue pantsuit.

“Good morning! I’m Ms. Callway, nice to meet you all.” she said, and beamed at them. Spencer remembered how Sam had told him she reminded the teacher of a mother. Spencer had to agree. “Would anyone like some coffee, water, tea?”

There was a chorus of ‘no, thank you’s, and Hotch introduced them before shaking the woman’s hand and asking, “Is there a certain way you would like us to approach this?”

“Ah, I’m glad you asked. Each of you was assigned a grade group based on your comfort level with children, which your supervisor and I worked out over the phone. I have sheets here with the classroom numbers. If you need help, just ask any teacher you can find, they should be able to assist you. Thank you so much, again.” She smiled once more and ushered them inside, before handing each of them a sheet of paper. The team began to disperse, and Spencer glanced down at his piece of paper. It read, ‘K22.’ He set off down a hallway, following direction signs until he was standing in front of a classroom door.

The sign to the side of the door read, ‘Mr. De Fiore.  Kindergarten.’ Spencer blinked. De Fiore. Hadn’t Sam said that his last name was-?

The door swung open, and Spencer was greeted with the grinning face of his boyfriend. He floundered for a second, before gathering himself and managing to stutter a greeting.

“H-hello, I’m here for Career Day?” He hated how formal he sounded, but Sam didn’t seem phased. He winked and ushered Spencer inside by the shoulder.

“Oh, hi, come on in! Alright guys, put your letter sheets away, we’ve got a special guest today!” There was a flutter of paper, and twenty pairs of curious and excited eyes landed on Spencer and Sam. A quick glance around the classroom proved for it to be a typical kindergarten classroom, but instead of pictures that students had drawn being hung on the walls, they were painted straight on. Neat-looking handwriting that was obviously Sam’s inscribed inspirational quotes throughout the room. The students desks were also unique. Covered in scribbles and paint, each one was different. Spencer smiled. The room was so amazingly Sam.

“So, this is Dr. Spencer Reid, and he’s an FBI agent. Who can tell me what the FBI does?” Sam was saying, and hands shot up from the children sitting around the room. Sam called on the kids one by one, and Spencer stood back and watched his boyfriend work with the students. Sam treated them so nicely, as if they were his own children. It was incredibly cute to watch, and Spencer found his thoughts wandering to what it would be like to raise a child with Sam. He blushed and quickly directed his thought back towards what was happening around him. The last child to put their hand up was saying something about how the FBI caught a lot of bad guys. Sam nodded encouragingly at the boy and then turned to Spencer.

“Okay, I think it’s Dr. Reid’s turn to talk now. Dr. Reid?” he snuck another wink Spencer’s way and stepped backwards to allow him some space.

“Thank you. A-alright, so, I am an FBI agent, but I’m not just a regular agent. I went to college when I was sixteen and I got three PhD’s, those are the ones that make you a doctor, and two other degrees.”

The children hung onto Spencer’s every word, occasionally asking questions and goofing around, in which cases Sam had to quiet them down. The teacher seemed to be having just as much fun learning about Spencer’s job as the kids. Spencer found himself unable to stop smiling at the excitement in his boyfriend’s eyes. After he had answered all the children’s questions, Sam walked back to the front of the room.

“Alright, guys, it’s time for Dr. Reid to go.” he said, and subtly laid a hand on Spencer’s shoulder. There was a chorus of ‘aww's from the children, and a young boy stood from his desk and ran over to hold tightly onto the hem of Spencer’s sweater.

“Whoa, Tyler, let go of him, we don’t do that!” Sam reprimanded, and gently tried to remove the boy’s hands. Tyler shook his head and gripped tighter.

Spencer let out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay.” He bent down to Tyler’s level and looked into his eyes. “I’m really sorry, buddy, but I have to go back to work. Maybe I’ll come in to your class again sometime, okay?”

The boy nodded sullenly, and walked back to his desk. However, a small girl with blonde pigtails quickly ran up and threw her arms around Spencer’s neck.

“Oh, dear. Come here, Grace.” Sam gently pried the girl off of Spencer and picked her up. He carried her back to her desk and gently plopped her down, before returning and leaning to whisper into Spencer’s ear. “Sorry, Dr. Reid. They must really like you.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Spencer blushed and smiled, avoiding eye contact with the class in favor of staring at his shoes. He jumped at the harsh sound of a bell ringing, and the children seemed to squeal collectively before gathering their things and racing from the classroom. Spencer received a few hugs in the process, and Sam chuckled fondly.

“They’re like little barnacles, aren’t they?” he asked when the last child had left the classroom.

“Actually, yes, that’s a good comparison.” Spencer said, turning to smile at Sam.

Sam leaned in and grinned, flicking his lip ring with his tongue before saying, “I’ve got my own question for you, Doctor.”

“W-what is it?” Spencer stuttered, trying to slow his heartbeat and stop the blush that was creeping over his cheeks.

“Are you free tonight? Maybe you could come over and have dinner at my house, we could watch a movie or something.” Sam asked, looking down at the floor and then up at Spencer through his eyelashes, hopeful. Spencer swallowed.  
“That sounds great. How about 6?” he managed, and Sam beamed up at him before pressing a quick peck to his cheek.

“Perfect. See you then, gorgeous.” he winked, grabbed a cup of coffee off his desk, and walked out of the room.

 


End file.
